ann: Evil thoughts aren't always bad and are rather amusing.
The Spiked Dragon: She is stupid but believe it or not I am basing her partialy on someone-well, two someones that I know. That whole part with Kaitlyn trying to make Hitomi jealous-yea, just put me in Hitomi's place and it's a bad morning from April 2004.
reiniku: I love how easily you went from wishing Kaitlyn was gone to wishing her dead. The point is not to like her- she is the annoying girl everyone knows who thinks they are what every guy wants and they have their sights set on your guy. Every girl has known someone like her.
annie: I thought it'd be nice for Hitomi to have people on her side but I must warn you that Kaitlyn will also find some friends in the coming chapters.
Thetys: I know I already thanked you for your review but I have to just mention you and your cows- thank you again.
Macky: Once again simple and to the point. Thank you for reviewing.
jossi-31: I hope you like the dinner part. Hell, it'd be nice if you liked the whole thing.
And on to the BIG chapter. I've been planning this out- I hope you all like it!
OOOOOOOOOOO
Hitomi rushed back to her room with Van's note clutched in her hand. She couldn't help but smile as she slid to a stop just inside the hall where her rooms were. She had to slow down to keep from attracting too much attention
No one was in sight but she could feel a few close by. Hitomi opened her door and ran to the closet to garb her new pants and a shirt to match.
The note was placed on her bed as she changed. Van's tidy hand writing easily seen from where she stood.
'Change of plans. Please meet me at the north tower as soon as you can. Dress for outside and tell no one where you are going.
Van'
OOOOOOOOOO
Van tucked the small basket of food around the corner and waited, keeping well to the shadows the afternoon had brought.
"May I ask what it is you are doing My King?" Van held his groan in check as he turned to find Kaitlyn walking down the hall towards him
"I am waiting on the Lady Hitomi." Van didn't see why he couldn't tell the truth. He knew it would irk Kaitlyn and show that he had interests in Hitomi.
"Oh?" she asked with a relatively interested look, "You two have plans?"
"We have a few things to discuss and it has been awhile since we last had time to talk." Van smiled, praying for Hitomi to come around the corner.
"Are you going to be planning the Fair?" Kaitlyn asked, brushing her curls away from her eyes.
"That is on the list, yes."
"Van!" Hitomi came running around the corner, "I am so sorry it took me awhile to get here." she beamed at him and linked her arm through his without even looking at Kaitlyn.
"Excuse us, Lady." Van had to fight not to grin openly.
Hitomi turned as they were walking up the stairs and waved in a friendly manner down the stairs at Kaitlyn who was still standing there.
Once they were out of sight HItomi clamped her hand over her mouth and looked up at Van to see that he was also laughing quietly.
"I brought food." Van smiled and held up the basket he had casualy picked up as they walked by it.
"Lovely." Hitomi squeezed Van's arm, "Where exactly are we going to eat this food?"
"The roof." Van said simply.
"Ah, no one can follow us there, can they?" she asked, "Well, except for merle."
"Yea well, that's why I didn't want her to know. " Van smiled at her as they came to a some what narrow window, "Here, I'll go first. Then you can hand me the food and then I'll help you through."
Hitomi watched Van slip easily out the open window and hoped that she would also be able to climb out so gracefully. If she stumbled, which she was almost sure she would, she hoped Van would have alreayd put down the basket so he could catch her without crushing the food. She'd have felt horrible if she had ruined the dinner Van had planned by flattening it.
Someone must have been watching out for her though because Hitomi managed to climb out onto the roof with Van to balance her without one mishap.
"Have you picked out a place or are we going to wander a bit till we find one?" Hitomi asked, taking Van's hand in hers and smiling.
"I come up here to escape the council." Van grinned and led Hitomi over one of the peeks, "Just here." he pointed at a rather level part of the roof just past the peek "The sunset has never looked so beautiful as it does from up here."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Merle stretched as she left the dining hall. It had only been her and Marlen with his three daughters. Tina and Merle had immediatly connected and spent most of dinner talking quietly between themselves. Arla kept to herself and sat perfectly straight. She looked as though she had spent an hour getting ready. Obviously she had expected Van to be there.
In all honesty Merle had expected both Van and Hitomi to be there. When niether showed up Merle decided that she would track Van down and give him a piece of her mind. He hadn't told them he wouldn't be there and his absent was very close to being outright rude to the visiting Lord and Ladies. She had to make excuses for him and then sit there wanting nothing more than to leave.
Thank Geae Tina was there. Merle would have tried to drown herself in the cooks specail soup if she had to sit there in the silence all night.
Just as she turned the corner to storm up to Van's room Merle slammed into Pennin who seemed to have been waiting for her.
"Where is he?" Merle asked as Pennin caught her easily by the shoulders.
"He and the Lady Hitomi are having a private dinner away from the palace." Pennin said just as Van had instructed him to.
"Away from the palace?" Merle asked, "Are they in the outter yards or maybe the forest clearing?"
"I'm not to say." Pennin grinned as Merle pulled away, "The whole idea was to let them have some time alone."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Kaitlyn crept up and down the north tower steps. The King and the Seer weren't in the room at the top. If they were they had been totaly silent for almost an hour.
They had gone that way now all she had to do was figure out where exactly they had gone off to. She had to find a way to interupt their 'talk'. The sick feeling in her stomack was telling her that nothing good would come of them being alone for long. Well- at least nothing good for her.
Just as she was giving up on the tower Kaitlyn heard someone humming the hall just below the stairs. It turned out to be Arla dressed in her best court gown with her pale blonde hair piled atop her head- just as it had been for dinner.
"Oh!" Arla jumped when Kaitlyn came around the corner, "You frightened me. I was just wandering."
The blush that crept up Arla's neck gave away the lie.
"Were you hoping to meet the king along your path?" Kaitlyn asked with a friendly smile, "Because he isn't anywhere to be found at the moment."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hitomi sat and watched as the sun began to sink towards the trees. Van was right, never had she seen such a lovely sunset. And the sun hadn't even set all the way yet.
"Did you enjoy the food?" Van asked as he packed away their dishes.
"It was very good. I love turkey sandwiches." Hitomi smiled at Van's confused look.
"But that was-" Hitomi jumped and covered Van's mouth with her hand before he could finish.
"Please," she laughed, "Just let me believe it was turkey."
Van's eyes shone with his laughter, "I think I can do that." he said once she removed her hand, "Are you feeling home sick?"
Hitomi thought for a minute, staring off at the orange sky, "Not realy. I just feel a bit out of place and overwhelmed. But I know I'm suppose to be here. This is where I belong-even if it takes me a while to get use to the food changes."
Van nodded and also turned his attention to the darkening sky, "I'm sorry things have been so out of order around here."
"It's not your fault." Hitomi smiled and placed her hand over his, "Fanelia is rebuilt. People expect you to marry now and they seem more than willing to bring the brides to you."
"The council is pushing for me to marry before snow fall." Van sighed, "It's mainly just Albert who is pushing but once he starts on something it's not long beofre someone else joins him. By this time next week at least half the council will want me to name my future Queen."
"Must be easy for them. They don't have others telling them how their life should be lived."
"Hitomi?" Van asked, "I know it's not the right time to ask you." Van looked up to see Hitomi turn a bright shade of red, "But you are the only one I wish to name."
They were both silent as the sun set and the sky turned a dark purple around them.
"I don't know how to be a Queen." Hitomi said quietly in the dark, "What if I'm no good at it?"
Van reached out and took ahold of her arm, pulling her to him, "You could never be bad at anything." He said into her hair.
"You obviuosly have never heard me sing." Hitomi laughed into his chest.
Van smiled, "You don't have to marry me. Not if you don't want to."
"I want to. Believe you me- I want to. I just don't want to screw up the country you rebuilt on your own."
"Is that a yes?" Van looked down trying to read Hitomi's face in the dark, "You'll marry me?"
"Yes." Hitomi laughed and hugged Van tightly before kissing him, "I've wanted to marry you for years. How could I say no now?"
"I'll tell the council I have chosen and will announce it at the Summer's End Ball." Van held Hitomi tight, afraid that he had dreamed all of this and in a moment he would wake up in his room and realize he was late for their dinner.
"There's a ball?- This sounds like a fairy tale." Hitomi laughed.
"The ball is part of our traditions. We have two a year. One for the welcoming of spring and one for the end of summer and the start of fall." Van kissed Hitomi's cheek, "I love you Hitomi."
Beaming, Hitomi replied, "I love you too."
OOOOOOOOO
Van walked down the hall with Hitomi's hand firmly in his. He felt like he was dreaming. He kept gently squeezing her fingers as they walked just to make sure she was real and firmly there.
They were walking in silence to make sure no one heard them and Hitomi was mentaly checking where everyone in the palace was every few seconds. If some one came their way they had agreed that they should step apart and play the part of friends. Even Merle wasn't to know what had happened tonight.
Hitomi let go of Van's hand as they aproached their rooms. She felt some one waiting there by the doors. When they turned the corner Pennin bowed to them and promptly walked away smiling.
"Does he know?" Hitomi wispered.
Van shrugged and opened Hitomi's door for her. She leaned over and kissed him before disappearing inside.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Karth stood with Marlen as they listened to the older council members chat. The old men didn't even seem to notice the two Lords standing just outside the council chamber.
They were talking about Van needing to marry and how they wouldn't wait for a Queen much longer.
"Fanelia needs a Queen and an heir. Without them the kingdom will fall apart." one said and the others nodded.
"It's what is expected of our King. If he doesn't marry soon rumors and scandal will be the only thing to follow." another said with a knowing nod.
"We must make him choose Kaitlyn or Arla." Karth hissed at Marlen as they turned away from the door.
"But how?" Marlen asked, wiping at his blad spot with a rag.
"I'm not sure." Karth snapped as he wondered, and not for the first time, why he agreed to work with this idiot. Karth sighed and regained control of his temper. If Kaitlyn couldn't get the King's attention on her own he was going to need Marlen's help to make the King notice her, "It doesn't sound like we have much time to put any plans together. Anything we do must be simple and effective."
"Yes, of course." Marlen tucked his rag back into his pocket and bit his lip as he thought, "I heard that the Seer is staying in the Queen's rooms." Marlen said suddenly, "Sounds as if the King has already made his choice."
"Then we get rid of the Seer." Karth smiled brightly.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Hitomi woke to the sound of her balcony doors opening and was working up a grumble when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Merle?" she asked, grumpily.
"No." came Van's soft voice, "I can't sleep. Can I climb in with you?"
"Yea." Hitomi moved over to make room for him, "But if you fall asleep you're staying here. I can't carry you back to your room."
Van laughed quietly at the mental picture and slid in beside Hitomi, "I would think not. Besides, I would like to sleep next to you."
Hitomi smiled and snuggled against his side, "Yea, I think we should get use to it anyways. Sharing a bed, I mean."
"You'll always have these rooms if you ever feel like having a night to yourself." Van said as he brushed her hair away from her face.
"Are you kidding?" Hitomi laughed, "Once we're married you're stuck with me everynight. As it is now, I always want to be with you."
"Realy?" Van asked, smiling.
He could feel Hitomi nod against his chest, "Whenever I get bored or lonely I instantly want to have you near. Even when I'm doing something I'm thinking of you. It's been like that for four years, Van." she confessed, "That's how I knew I wanted to marry you. My grandmother use to say that a girl shouldn't marry the man who is always around but the one they wish was always there. She would say to marry the man I couldn't live with out."
Van was silent, waiting for Hitomi to say more but when she didn't he just kissed the top of her head and tried to fall asleep. He kept wondering what the morning would be like. Pennin would surely go to his room to wake him. What would he do when he found the King missing? And what if Merle decided to pay Hitomi an early visit and he was still there?
Van smiled. He didn't care what the morning brought so long as he could sleep next to his future wife.
OOOOOOOOO
A/N: Ok, I hope that wasn't too cheesey for you guys. If so I can re-do some parts and post it again. I'm not realy sure how I feel about this chapter. I mean, people realy do say cheesey stuff like that(I know, I'm one of them) but love just seems to do that to people.
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